


Jealous of All That Matters

by Kawaii_Kitty360



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Canon Divergence, First Kiss, Gen, Jealousy, Pining, Protectiveness, Puppy Love, Unrequited Love, like kinda cuz in canon Riku likes Kairi too but, pre-Kingdom Hearts 1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-01-15 15:36:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,417
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18501910
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kawaii_Kitty360/pseuds/Kawaii_Kitty360
Summary: Riku and Sora have been best friends forever. A fallen star changes all of that.(A Love Triangle in so many words)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> KH is one of my alltime favorite game series from my childhood. Surprisingly, it's the fandom I've explored the least. This is probably an overused trope but I have scoured almost every page of the SoRiku and SoKai tags and found nothing of it, so here we are. Also, per usual, this is my first time writing these characters so it may be OOC. Hope you enjoy!! <3

It was almost like she was rubbing it in his face. Anytime Riku turned around, Kairi was right there, Sora alongside her. Laughing, teasing, talking in hushed voices and quiet conversations that ended as he approached.

It was weird, the feeling of betrayal and rejection that coursed through his veins with every lingering touch or look he caught them exchange. He thought he was jealous of Sora, his best-friend-gone-rival, for being so close to the newest addition to their friendship-- why didn't she talk to him like that, look at him the way she looked at Sora? He was better than him, at everything and then some. What made Sora so special?

It was later that he realized he wasn't jealous of Sora.

Riku used to be the object of Sora's attention, but Kairi's sudden appearance changed all of that in the blink of an eye. And suddenly it all made sense.

Riku became acutely aware of every smug side eye Kairi sent his way, trying to see if he was jealous. She wasn't looking to see if he was jealous of Sora.

She was looking to see if he was jealous of _her_.

And he was. It just took him a while to realize it.

* * *

"Hey, Riku, wait up."

The sound of shoes slapping against wet sand made Riku's brisk pace falter, and he turned as Sora stepped up beside him, matching Riku's stride in almost-comically large steps. "What's up with you? You've been in a bad mood all morning."

Riku's eyes slid from Sora's face back to the sand as the waves lapped around his shoes, splashing with every step. "It's nothing. Shouldn't you be waiting for Kairi?"

"I wanted to check on you first," Sora hummed, hands coming up behind his head casually. "When you're in a bad mood, it's always disastrous."

"Oh, thanks," Riku snapped sarcastically, feeling a smile tug at the corner of his lips. Sora beamed at him. "Hey, since we have time, wanna spar? Maybe you'll actually beat me this time."

"Of course I will," Sora hit his chest, bright blue eyes alight with mirth. "I beat you yesterday."

"Did not."

"Did so!"

"Whatever, I'm still winning anyway." 

Their route had changed without Riku even noticing, heading towards the small shack that lead to the islet with the Paopu tree rather than the Cove. Sora groaned under his breath at Riku's words.

"Did you have to remind me?"

"Apparently, I did," Riku quipped good-naturedly, and laughed as Sora sulked even more. 

Riku reached out to push open the door when sand shifted behind them, and a voice said sarcastically, "Thanks for waiting."

Sora nearly jumped out of his skin, spinning on his heel so fast he lost his footing and flopped onto the sand. "K-Kairi!" 

Kairi laughed as Sora scrambled to stand, dusting himself off and shaking sand out of his hair. Riku's hand wavered, still outstretched towards the door. "You guys going to fight again?"

"Yeah," Sora nodded, and Riku pushed the door open. "You wanna come judge?"

"Nah, I promised Selphie I'd hang out with her today since Tidus and Wakka can't come out." She motioned to where Selphie stood on the docks, waiting. They must've come together. Kairi smirked, raising an eyebrow at Sora. "Because, unlike certain people, I keep my promises."

Sora slumped, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm sorry."

She giggled. "It's okay. You owe me, though."

Sora agreed, a little too quick for Riku's liking, but when he walked into the shack, Sora was still hot on his heels. "It sucks Kairi won't be there to watch me kick your butt."

"Yeah, it sure sucks she won't get to watch me throw you into the ocean again."

"That happened once! And I slipped!"

"Yeah, sure you did."

They were both right. Sora got a little too into their fight, so he didn't realize that Riku was pushing him towards the edge. He only meant to get Sora to surrender by threatening to push him in, but when Sora went to wind up for a jab, his foot slipped off the edge and he plunged into the ocean below. Riku was almost too busy laughing to realize Sora was back up and hardly had enough time to react. When Sora went to push him in, Riku side-stepped and Sora tumbled in again. Riku laughed harder the second time. He hit the floor when Sora attempted to throw the wooden sword at him, but it hit the cliff and ricocheted back towards him. Sora barely had enough time to duck under the attack of karma so he didn't get conked in the head. Sora came back up complaining about having salt on his skin and water up his nose. 

Riku was on edge, waiting for Sora to enact his revenge, for a week before he remembered Sora was hardly a revenge-seeker.

He struggled to fight back a laugh even thinking about it.

Once they reached the islet, they found the two wooden swords still there from the day before. Riku scooped them both up, making to toss it to Sora, only to find his gaze on the beach across the way. Kairi and Selphie stood knee-deep in the water, arms poised like they were trying to fish. Both of them moved at once, grabbing something in the water, Selphie coming up empty-handed and Kairi holding a... shoe?

Kairi pumped her fists in the air and Selphie sulked slightly. Riku nearly snorted. What a weird game to play. If they weren't careful, their shoes would get washed away. Riku almost debated warning them, but he figured it'd be a waste of breath. If they didn't know that already, they'd soon find out.

Sora was still watching, now with a goofy smile on his face, and Riku noticed Kairi waving. Sora waved back.

"Hey."

Sora was barely looking at him when Riku tossed the sword his way. With a shout in surprise, Sora fumbled, nearly dropping it, but secured it in his hands, both hands wrapped around the hilt and eyes wide in anticipation. Riku pointed his weapon at him, the perfect distance away to keep his arm straight and weapon level without the sword hitting any part of Sora's face before their duel began.

"Focus, or else you'll fall in the ocean again, and that'll be embarrassing for both of us."

Sora cast one more look down at the ocean as Selphie waded farther, hands out to grasp at something, Kairi following. Their shoes were probably taken with the tide. Then he shook his head and got into his fighting stance. "As if I'll let that happen again!"

Sora raced forward, sword clashing against Riku's as he blocked. Using the sword, Riku shoved the brunet back before moving forward and making to hit him in the side. Sora dodged, the toes of his shoe digging into the dirt as he launched himself forward, coming with a hard down-swing. Riku jumped back, Sora in his face before he was even on the ground again. His arms were still in the position of the aftermath of his attack, and he swung back up, using the momentum to land a strike on Riku's ribs. With a grunt in pain, Riku stumbled, adjusting his grip on his weapon to block the next part of Sora's combo attempt, and the fight continued. 

This was one of Riku's favorite feelings.

Hearing their weapons clash, feeling the strain on his muscles, the pain of forming bruises; the wind and the rush and the adrenaline, sharing the space, the air, sweat dripping down their faces as the sun beat on them, fighting without a care... 

There was no feeling like it.

Riku met Sora's gaze through a forceful block, arms shaking as both tried to shove the other and get the upper hand. Sora always got this look on his face when they fought, his face flushed and a flame behind his eyes. Sometimes his upper lip would curl, baring his teeth in a feral display of power and dominance, eyes nearly glowing in his fervor.

This was a side of him that nobody else got to see, and it filled Riku with such exhilaration that it nearly knocked the wind out of him.

Sora was passionate about everything, but he was the most passionate with a sword in his hands.

As they struggled, Sora's dominant teeth baring slipped into a huge smile, and Riku nearly faltered. It was just enough for Sora to shove him back, hard, and Riku stumbled once again, Sora stepping with him, giving Riku no other choice other than to fall to the ground, sword dropping next to his legs. They were left panting, red-faced, and sore, and when Sora slowly raised his arm to point the sword under Riku's chin, he could see his friend practically vibrating in his excitement.

"I think I..." Sora rasped, out of breath. "I think I win."

And when Riku noticed Kairi and Selphie making their way towards them, across the bridge, he nodded. "I guess you do."

A smile split Sora's face, and he opened his mouth to say something when a sudden, "Hey!" cut him off. Riku stayed on the ground as the two girls stepped up to them. Selphie was looking at him with a look of surprise, and Riku met her gaze until she swallowed and looked away. They both held two bottles each, two for the boys and two for them.

"Congratulations on your victory, Sora!" she said, pumping both her arms close to her chest excitedly.

"Hey, guys," Sora beamed at them, switching the sword from his right to his left hand. "You just missed it."

"We caught some of it," Kairi assured, smiling at them both. If she was surprised to see Riku on the ground for once, it didn't show. She held out two bottles, full of water. "We brought you some refreshments. Figured you'd be worn out with how hot it is."

She talked mainly at Riku, still in his wading pants, but he ignored her, reaching at the same time as Sora to accept the drink, both thanking her as Sora tossed his sword near Riku's and flopped down next to him. Kairi looked at Selphie, and she twisted her foot into the dirt, looking at the swords.

"Are you gonna watch the next round?" Sora asked, noticing Selphie's gaze.

"We were hoping to," she nodded. 

"After we saw how close it was getting, we started making our way up," Kairi began, "but by the time we made it, the fight was over."

"How much of it did you see?" Sora asked, a hopeful lilt in his voice. Riku took a drink of water and glanced away, gaze falling over the ocean.

"About half," Kairi answered as she and Selphie moved to sit. Sora scooted slightly closer to Riku, their knees bumping slightly with the motion. He left his leg supported against Riku's and he could feel the warmth of Sora's skin bleed through the fabric of his pants. Riku nearly shifted away but didn't see the point, especially once he noticed Kairi's gaze on where their limbs connected. "You both were amazing."

Sora's flush, which was fading as he sipped his water and caught his breath, came back in vibrance at her words. It was him who hid behind his water this time, lips curling as he fought back a giddy smile. 

Riku blinked at him. "You're getting stronger," he noted, eyes flicking from Kairi to Sora and watching as he nearly choked on his mouthful.

"You really think!?" he sputtered, wiping water off his chin. Riku nodded, and the girls smiled at them both.

"You're nowhere near me yet, but you're getting there."

"Says the guy who lost this round," Sora muttered with a teasing smirk, and Riku reached for his sword.

"You ready for a rematch?!"

"Bring it on, you're just gonna lose again!"

Except Sora was too busy trying to show off that, once again, Riku dunked him into the ocean. Kairi and Selphie laughed like it was the best thing they'd ever seen, but Riku found it hard to be amused, especially when Kairi reached out to needlessly help Sora off the ladder, asking if he was alright. Even as he tossed his head from side to side to get water out of his ears, swallowing thickly as seawater ran down his throat, he assured her he was fine, despite it being obvious he was not. Riku debated throwing himself in the ocean just to cool off, and was grateful when Selphie suggested a cannonball challenge. 

In the end, Riku won that, too.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> E
> 
> I plan on updating every Wednesday, and I, thankfully and for once, have a lot of chapters ready :}}

The cannonball challenge turned into a race towards the docks, the farthest point away from their starting point. It was almost a tie, with Riku and Sora nearly tripping over their own feet in their haste to dry land. Riku thought he won, but Sora argued with him. In the end, neither could actually tell, and Kairi nor Selphie made it to them in time to say. They decided on a draw, and Sora, thoroughly spent, flopped onto his back to relax under the sun and dry out. The girls went to refill their waters, leaving Riku and Sora alone for a few minutes. 

Sora's eyes were closed, and Riku almost thought he was asleep already until he opened his eyes slowly, face contorting and brows furrowing against the bright sun. 

"I'm exhausted," Sora groaned, fighting off a yawn. "I think we overdid it. My arms are gonna be sore all week."

"That's not my problem. You're the one who hits that hard; I don't make you."

"You hit me hard, too!" Suddenly Sora was grabbing at the zipper to his jumpsuit, tugging it down until his entire chest was bare, pulling the fabric to the side to motion to a blossoming bruise under his ribcage. Leaving the jumpsuit unzipped, he rolled his sleeve up a bit, showing another one that was forming just under his shoulder. Then he moved to roll up his shorts, and that's where Riku stopped him.

"Alright, I get it! I have bruises too, you know." He rubbed the first point Sora hit him that day, fighting a wince.

"Maybe we should use something other than wooden swords," Sora muttered as he played with his zipper, moving it up and down the teeth, making an annoying 'zpp' sound every time. There was also a bright red mark on his chest, more noticeable since it was wet, where Riku hit him with the side of the sword. He wondered if Sora even knew it was there.

"Where's the fun in that?" 

Sora laughed and finally zipped the suit up all the way, just as the girls were coming back. Selphie was laughing about something, and Kairi was blushing.

Kairi handed their drinks off, and looked at the spot next to Sora before moving to sit beside Selphie, who sat beside Riku. He could tell she wanted to sit next to him, but didn't want to leave Selphie, and he almost moved to sit on the opposite side so Sora was between him and Kairi, but that would be a lot of effort.

All four took a long sip from their drinks at the same time, laughing when Selphie mentioned it, and small conversation exploded between the four. Riku, being beside Sora, could tell he was fighting off sleep, eyes struggling to stay open and a slight delay to his responses. Riku took his bottle and buried it in the sand, far enough it wouldn't get taken with the tides and not deep enough in the sand to become undrinkable. Then he leaned back, Sora following immediately after, nearly knocking out on impact. His relief was obvious and he looked at Riku, sleepy face full of so much gratitude that it made Riku's head spin. Sora still had his bottle in his hands, and Riku took it to bury it next to his head as well. 

Kairi looked at them with an eyebrow raised. "Are you two lazies going to sleep?"

Despite her words, she and Selphie followed suit. They continued to talk, voices soft enough to let Sora rest. Occasionally, they would point out shapes in the clouds overhead, and Riku would add his own thoughts, sometimes prompted and sometimes not. For a while, Sora was staying awake, mumbling cloud shapes and motioning to them, the words so soft and the motion so slight that only Riku noticed, which he would translate to the girls depending on what they were and if he could see them, too, or not. But, per the Sora way, he couldn't resist the comforting warmth of the sun, his eyes falling shut and his breathing evening out. Riku didn't point out any more clouds, wanting to let Sora sleep.

A cloud floated overhead, shaped like a turtle, and Riku glanced to see if Sora happened to be awake to notice it. He wasn't, so he turned to the girls, but they were engrossed in their own conversation and didn't notice either. Riku looked at it, but seeing the shape alone didn't have much value in it.

Something ghosted over his wrist, and Riku nearly swatted it away, thinking it to be a bug or something, but Sora made a soft noise, and Riku glanced to see Sora's eyes, half-lidded, trained on the sky.

"T'rtle," he murmured, motioning up at it, and Riku couldn't help the smile that slid on his face.

"Yeah, that is a turtle," he responded, but Sora was back asleep, fingers still against Riku's wrist, and he wondered if Sora could feel his pulse beneath his skin.

* * *

Riku was the first of the two to wake up. Kairi and Selphie, if they fell asleep at all, were no longer on the beach, instead moving somewhere else on the island. They probably didn't want to spend too long in the sun, worried about sunburns like normal people. 

Riku reached to touch his face, feeling for any tender spots, but felt none yet. With a grunt, he sat up, Sora's hand sliding away from his as he moved. Riku grabbed for his water and took a sip, glad to feel that it was still cool thanks to being under the sand. His clothes were still damp, meaning that they hadn't been asleep for long.

Riku turned to look at Sora, who was still sleeping soundly, and, after thinking about it, reached out to jostle him awake. "Hey, Sora. Wake up."

The boy groaned, frowning and turning away, and Riku shoved him a little harder. Sora muttered an, "Ow," under his breath, and Riku realized he probably hit a tender spot. Regardless, he roused, sitting up as well. His hair, which was wet when they laid down, had clumps of sand in it, and Riku knew he faired no better. Still, he reached out, arms sore and sluggish, to comb some of the grains, and Sora, still slightly drowsy, hummed and leaned into the touch.

"Wha're you doi'g," he yawned, reaching to rub at his eye, careful not to get sand or salt in it.

"You've got sand in your hair," Riku responded, and Sora looked at him, laughing tiredly.

"You, too."

When Sora reached to smooth out Riku's hair, a sudden, "Hey!" once again startled them both. They turned to see Kairi and Selphie making their way down, Kairi motioning for them to get up.

"Are you two finally awake? Come on, get your lazy bums up!"

"We just remembered there's free ice cream today, and if we don't get moving, they won't have any more ice cream when we get there!" Selphie added.

That launched Sora to his feet almost instantly. "Free ice cream?!" he grinned down at Riku, who paused before laughing and getting to his feet as well.

"Alright, let's go then."

"Alright!" Sora pumped his fists, "ice cream!!"

The three laughed at him as they moved to the docks, Sora, Riku, and Kairi and Selphie loading into their respective boats.

Riku looked at Sora, and Sora met the look, a slight tilt to his head, because he knew the look meant a challenge, but he couldn't think what there could be.

"Race you to the mainland."

Sora nodded and grinned at him. "You're on!"

If their arms weren't sore before, they definitely were then, and Sora complained the entire walk into town, as if Riku didn't feel the same pain. Tidus and Wakka met up with them outside the ice cream shop, Selphie joining the other boys, to split the group of six to two groups of three.

"Hey," Sora noted with wide eyes, motioning to a sign above the menu. "There's Paopu fruit ice cream!"

"What?" Kairi gasped, and even Riku raised an eyebrow. "That's so cool! Do you guys want to get that?"

Riku could practically hear the inner turmoil roaring inside of Sora, fighting between getting his favorite flavor and the prospect of 'sharing a Paopu' indirectly with Kairi.

"I think we should stick with what we know," Riku supplied, hoping he solved Sora's conflicts. "I know we're getting it for free, but I would rather get what I know I like rather than try something new and it not taste good."

"You don't think Paopu tastes good?" Sora asked, a little appalled, with a tilt of his head. 

"I'm just saying it might not be the best as ice cream."

Sora nodded, and looked at Kairi. Her gaze flicked from Riku to Sora and back again. "If you want it, you can get it, Kairi! Then you can tell us how it tastes!"

Kairi gave him a small smile. "Maybe."

Selphie looked back at them and chirped, "Kairi, you wanna get the Paopu ice cream with me? Tidus and Wakka think it'll taste bad."

Kairi laughed, in the same boat, and nodded. "Sure, Selphie. I'd love to."

The two groups of three became three groups of twos, and soon all six had their ice creams, walking back to the beach, talking and laughing and licking their cones, and as Sora pointed out clouds, remnants of their activity earlier, Riku found that for the first time in a long while, he actually felt content on the islands, but he knew that he could be anywhere and be content as long as he had Sora at his side.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sorry, Riku! I can't hang out with you today. Kairi asked me to hang out with her today, as payback for not waiting for her at the docks yesterday."

Sora had his hands clasped together above his head in a stance of apology, but Riku was just staring at the top of his head. Riku got to the island earlier than usual, and spent roughly an hour sitting on the Paopu tree, thinking. When he heard somebody approach, he was glad to see it was Sora, but any feelings of euphoria were destroyed when the first thing Sora said was 'Sorry'.

Riku didn't understand why he couldn't hang out with Kairi, too. They were all friends, but it was only when Sora ran back across the bridge, leaping off early onto the beach to wait at the docks did he realize what this really was.

Riku had Sora's attention the day before, and now Kairi was making her move.

Honestly, Riku wasn't surprised and, in a way, it almost seemed fair.

Except that Kairi and Selphie came in and hung out with them the whole day anyway.

Feeling gypped, Riku thought about going to hang out with them both anyway, but figured he'd wait a while. Kairi and Selphie gave them roughly an hour of alone time before they came up to hang out. The only question was if Riku was patient enough.

* * *

Turns out, yeah, Riku was patient enough. Patient enough to deal with Kairi's incessant gaze on the back of his head when Riku casually appeared in the Cove and stole Sora's attention all over again.

Sora and Kairi were sitting next to the zip line tower, their legs dangling off the small cliff as they talked, sitting so close their shoulders touched. Riku walked along the beach towards them, not in the mood to leap across the wooden platforms, partly because he wanted the element of surprise, but mainly because he just wasn't in the mood. Plus parts of him were still sore from the day before.

As Riku made his way through the water, Sora's head turned and immediately landed on Riku, some kind of super hearing enabling him to hear Riku wading towards them.

"Oh, Riku!" Sora greeted with a wave of his arm and a grin. "What're you doin' over here?"

"You kidding?" Riku scoffed, putting on a smirk as Kairi peered around Sora's head with her big, blue eyes. "I wanted to practice the course so I could leave you in the dust next time we race."

"Like that'll happen!"

Regardless, Sora made no move to stand, staying next to Kairi, and Riku approached to stand slightly under Sora's feet, leaning against the rockface and crossing his arms. For a moment, all three just stared out over the ocean, lost in the sound of the waves lapping at the shore.

"Are Wakka and Tidus not here yet?" Kairi asked gently, and Riku shrugged.

"I don't think so. I didn't see their boats coming over, so I guess they're either not coming or coming later."

"Well, that's okay! You can hang out with us until they come over, right, Kairi?"

She nodded, smiling. "Of course! Did you guys wanna race?"

Sora looked to Riku, and he pushed off the rocks with a nod. "Might as well. There's nothing else to do, and my arms are tired of hitting you with a sword all day yesterday."

"Like you don't have bruises, too!" Sora got to his feet, and the three moved towards the little cliff that marked the starting point. 

"Ready?" Kairi threw her hand into the air, straight up, and Riku and Sora braced themselves. "Go!"

Both pushed off the dirt, feet pounding on the ground as they raced, moving perfectly in sync, only losing rhythm when Sora managed to beat Riku to the ladder. Riku pushed himself faster as he ran up the slope, making his way to the checkpoint, Sora bounding across treetops towards him. Riku jumped to slap the star just as Sora lunged, throwing his whole body at the sign and nearly knocking Riku off the small platform.

"Hey, watch it!" Riku snapped, trying to keep his balance, and Sora reached out to steady him with a laugh.

"Sorry, Riku," he chuckled, and only when Riku had his footing did Sora jump back across the trees, Riku hot on his heels. Landing on the dirt again, they fell back in sync as they jumped across the wooden planks, Sora just barely a pace ahead. Kairi's eyes were wide, and she took a step back to gauge who would make it first. Riku took a risk, using his speed and kicking into the wood, launching him at an angle and giving him a full-body win. Sora let out a dramatic yelp as he stumbled, nearly tripping over Riku, hitting the ground and using his hand to propel himself through a roll, landing safely some distance away. Kairi looked between them, eyebrows raised, impressed at their display. Sora threw his hands in the air before bending them to dig his fingers into his hair.

"Aaah, darn it!! I can't believe I lost that!"

"That was so close!" Kairi added, looking at Riku. "That was really cool, Riku!"

Riku hummed, nodding, moving to sit in the dirt rather than lie in it. "I told you I'd leave you in the dust, Sora." He patted dust off his chest and shoulders, in both a literal sense and a mocking show of attitude.

Sora turned around and pointed at him accusingly. "We were tied for half of that! If you didn't do that cool kick-off thing, I totally would've won. Right, Kairi?"

Kairi giggled. "I dunno. It was pretty close anyway. I think it would've been a tie anyway."

"Agh, another draw!" Sora whined, falling back into the dirt, knocking a whole cloud of dust into the air. "Well, at least this time one of us won. It's hard to keep track of draws."

"We've only had three so far," Riku mused, and Sora groaned again. "What's the score now?"

"I don't even want to think about it," Sora covered his face with his hands.

"Alright, let's make it simpler. What's the score this week?"

"Two to five, with Riku in the lead," Kairi supplied, and Riku barked a laugh as Sora nearly screamed.

"I'm doing awful!"

"Hey, at least you've won twice so far! That's better than most weeks."

"Oh, thanks a lot, Kairi."

They laughed because they knew it was true. Some weeks Sora wouldn't get any wins, and in rare cases, Sora would win more than Riku. Loser of the week had to buy them ice cream, that was the agreement. Unsurprisingly, Sora was the one usually using his allowance to purchase three cones. If Riku had a winning streak, he would buy them ice cream sometimes so Sora could save some of his munny, and vice-versa. On weeks with either too many draws, or if Sora and Riku tied, they would all chip in to buy ice cream so no one person had to buy. 

All in all, it was a good system, except for the fact that Riku won more weeks than he lost. 

Sudden movement brought Riku out of his head, and he glanced at Sora as he kicked himself to a standing position, beaming down at Riku and holding out his hand.

"I'll win next time!"

Riku laughed and clapped their hands together, grip firm in anticipation for Sora to heave him off the ground. "Sure you will."

With a yank of his arm, Sora pulled Riku to his feet, and they both let go to dust themselves off. 

"Anyway," he continued, patting his butt and shaking his foot in hopes to shake any sand out of his pants. "I'll leave you two alone now. Don't get up to anything too crazy, alright?"

As Riku knocked Sora with his elbow, the boy blushed heavily. "S-Shut up!"

Kairi was laughing as he walked away.

When Riku stepped back to the seashore, Tidus and Wakka were on the beach, talking. Tidus was idly swinging his staff back and forth, and Wakka was tossing his ball up in the air gently. He was the first to notice Riku approach.

"Ayy, what's happenin', Riku?" he drawled, grinning, tossing his ball and catching it one more time, juggling it to spin it on his finger. 

"Oh, Riku! We were just talking about you," Tidus added, twisting his staff expertly around. "We've been practicing, and we know we can beat you. Come on, two-to-one! What do you say?"

Riku's hands, wedged in his pockets, clenched into fists as he looked between the two boys. 

"Sure, if you think you have what it takes."

Both of them scoffed, insulted, and waited for Riku to go fetch a sword.

The timing couldn't have been more perfect. Riku was in a bad mood, and the perfect outlet for his pent up rage was just practically handed to him. Riku couldn't help the grim smile that slipped onto his face as he scooped a sword off the ground and tested it in his hand, twirling it with his wrist. Tidus and Wakka watched him from the beach, and he narrowed his eyes at them. Twirling the sword, he walked halfway down the bridge before jumping off, landing on the sand. Maybe the leap didn't impress them, but something about his demeanor, the way he twirled the sword, taking confident steps their way, set them on edge. Tidus gripped his staff tighter, eyes getting dark, and Wakka raised his eyebrows and took a slight step back. 

"Are you sure we can do this?" Wakka murmured to Tidus, and Tidus scoffed.

"Of course. You're not gonna scare us, Riku," he announced loud enough for the approaching Riku to hear. "Cheap tricks like that won't work against us."

"I would sure hope not," Riku quipped, securing his grip on the sword. "You're not all talk, now are you?" 

"I should say the same about you!"

Just as Tidus geared up to attack, a sudden, wailing, "Waaiitt!!" came from the treehouse, and the three boys stopped to glance up at Selphie as she flailed her arms at them. "Wait for me, guys! I wanna fight, too!"

"Three-on-one?" Tidus glanced at Wakka, then at Riku, before an apish grin split his face. "That sounds fair."

Riku rolled his neck, successfully popping it. "Sure."

Selphie met them on the beach, jump rope in hand, and poised herself some distance away. There was a beat of silence, Riku's gaze sliding over them all, waiting for the first strike.

It was, unsurprisingly, Tidus, whose foot slipped in the sand as he launched himself towards Riku, staff at the ready. He was just as sloppy of a fighter as Sora, bringing the stick down a little too slow, easily deflected. As if Riku didn't see him winding up, Wakka let out a yell as he let the ball fly, and Riku dodged out of the way, kicking up to slam the ball back towards its owner. Wakka yelled, ducking the speeding object, covering his head. Red blurred in his peripheral, and Riku backflipped easily out of the way as Tidus attempted to slam the staff into his stomach. He let out an audible groan, disappointed his trick didn't work. Wakka had barely just recovered his ball and was on his way back as Riku spun his sword and knocked Tidus upside the head.

"Ow!" Tidus hissed, grabbing his skull as tears built in his eyes. 

"Hyaah!" Selphie cried, flicking her wrist and letting the rope fly towards Riku like a whip. Riku jumped back to dodge, foot sliding as he braced and lurched forward, bringing his sword in an arch to strike the girl. With a yelp, she leaned back, lost her footing, and landed on her butt in the sand. 

Riku barely had his balance before he pulled his head back as Wakka's ball soared by, and he almost laughed as the ball hit Tidus on the forehead with a sickening 'WHAP', flattening against his skull before bouncing off with nearly the same velocity, and Tidus yelped as he fell backward onto the sand, momentarily knocked out. Wakka and Selphie let out surprised cries as Wakka raced forward, reaching out to instinctively catch the ball but ignoring it as it soared out of his reach, running towards Tidus instead. Selphie, too, scrambled to stand, jogging to where Tidus lay.

"Tidus! I'm so sorry, man!" Wakka yelled at the same time as Selphie asked, "Tidus, are you okay?!"

Tidus, dazed on the sand, said nothing in return.

With a scoff under his breath, Riku twisted the sword again. "So? Two-on-one?"

The man made a soft, apprehensive noise, glancing at Selphie. "I dunno, man. I think I should get Tidus back to the mainland. He probably has a concussion."

"I'd assume so, with how hard the ball hit him in the head."

Wakka and Selphie carefully helped Tidus up, keeping the disoriented boy on his feet. "I'm callin' rematch tomorrow," the boy slurred, holding a hand to his head, glaring at him as best he could through his headache. Riku nodded with a wave of his hand.

"Sure, sounds good."

With a growl, Tidus turned away, and his two friends helped him back towards the boats. Riku almost felt bad, but he could've been the one with a concussion if he didn't dodge. It wasn't his fault Wakka threw the ball like that, and it wasn't Wakka's fault that the ball hit his friend square between the eyes. It was all just a perfect happenstance.

As Riku watched Wakka row Tidus back to the mainland, Selphie standing on the docks, watching them, he felt his irritation return, and he looked at the sword in his hand with mild distaste.

These 'fights' weren't enough, and Riku wasn't sure if they could ever be.

"Heeyyy! Riku!!"

Looking up, Riku turned to see Sora racing towards Riku, arm waving as if he didn't already get his attention. He slowed to a halt, kicking up sand as he did. 

"What happened? Wakka and Tidus are leaving already?"

"Yeah," Riku deadpanned, twirling the sword once more. "Wakka gave Tidus a concussion."

"He what?!" Sora pulled back in alarm, eyes widening and arm coming up in reflex. "How'd that happen?!"

"They both tried to fight me. Wakka threw the ball and it missed, hitting Tidus instead." He cracked a small smile at the memory of Tidus hitting the sand. "Knocked Tidus clean out."

Sora rubbed his forehead as if _he_ was the one with a headache. "Ouch. I've been hit by that ball too many times to count. I couldn't imagine getting pelted in the face with it."

"It was an accident," Riku shrugged. "I'm just grateful it wasn't me."

Sora laughed. "No kidding."

His eyes followed the motion of the sword, watching as Riku twirled the hilt between his fingers. 

"What happened to hanging out with Kairi?" Riku asked with a cock of his head, and Sora snapped his fingers with an 'Oh!'. 

"She's looking for seashells right now, but said she'd meet us at the Paopu tree in a few minutes. I think she feels bad for ignoring you," he said, crossing his arms loosely and wearing a constipated expression. Riku took one look at him and laughed, knocking him in the shoulder, not missing the wince when he connected with a bruise from the day before. 

"Come on, if you keep making that face, it'll get stuck like that."

Sora looked horrified for a moment before rolling his eyes. "As if. That's just a myth."

"You'd think so, wouldn't you?"

"W-What's that supposed to mean?!"

Riku didn't answer, instead moving to walk past Sora, towards the shack. "Come on, let's get to the tree."

"Hey, wait up!"

They fell into an easy pace, the sand shifting under their feet as they walked in comfortable silence. Riku led them through the shack, the stairs creaking under their feet as they climbed the stairs and shoved their way outside again. Back in fresh air, Sora took in a deep breath and threw his arms behind his head, keeping his pace casual. Riku noticed him lean back a little, looking behind Riku to peer at the door that led to the Cove. Riku forced himself not to be bothered; Kairi was supposed to be coming back soon anyway, once she was done gathering shells.

"Why _is_ Kairi getting seashells, anyway?" Riku wondered aloud, and Sora hummed as he looked to the sky.

"I dunno. I think she said something about making a charm."

Riku glanced at him. "A charm? Out of shells?"

Sora nodded. Riku let out a soft 'Huh' but otherwise made no other comment. Sora cut in front of Riku, jogging a bit and heaving himself onto the trunk of the lopsided tree, wiggling in place to get comfortable on the bark. Riku watched him in amusement before resuming his spot, leaning on the base that curved back into the dirt. Sora stayed sitting up for a moment before he sighed and leaned back, placing his whole weight towards the curve and moving his legs so one was propped up and the other dangled freely. It was still relatively early- anywhere between 11 and 2, if Riku had to guess- and the sun was high overhead. The view was still beautiful, even without the setting sun casting pinks and oranges over the horizon, and the sounds of the ocean lapping against the sand and the beach breeze rustling the bushes and leaves of the trees filled the air soothingly. Riku closed his eyes, basking in the momentary peace.

"Hey, Riku, can I ask you a question?"

"What's up?"

There was a small shuffling, and Riku knew, without opening his eyes, that Sora was sitting up and looking right at him. "Do you think we'll be like this forever?"

Now Riku _did_ open his eyes, turning his head to meet Sora's big blue eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Like, me, you, and Kairi, on the islands. Do you think we'll stay here forever?"

Riku blinked at him before looking over the ocean. He couldn't say he hadn't thought about it, about their future, and where they'd be years from then. It'd been something on his mind since Kairi arrived-- the possibility of other Worlds was a thought that made his head spin with euphoria. "I don't know," he answered-- a white lie, because he didn't know how well Sora would take, 'I hope not' as an answer.

"What are you two talking about?" a voice pipped in, and Sora and Riku turned as Kairi leaned forward, peering at both of them with a smile. 

"The future," Sora supplied, and Kairi cooed as she slid past Riku and sat next to Sora, who scooted over to make room. 

Riku looked back out over the ocean, a breeze passing them by. Sora and Kairi were talking, and as Kairi laughed, Riku closed his eyes and struggled to keep his jaw unclenched.

_Stay here forever, huh?_ he repeated, eyes sliding open to look out over the significantly-less-beautiful horizon. _Yeah. I sure hope not._


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay guys this is where things get wild. and by wild i mean gay.
> 
> i'm shameless and lowkey hate this but its for the plot guys its for thE PLOT ITS FOR THE PLOT GUYS DON'T WORRY ITS FOR THE PL

Most days, Riku would wait at the docks for Sora and Kairi to come down the hill before rowing across the ocean to the island, laughing and getting into splashing fights with his friends with their oars. Recently, however, he hasn't, opting instead to head to the island early, sit on the Paopu tree, and think. 

All he gained from the experience is that sitting alone, trapped in your own head for hours is not the best thing to do to pass the time.

All he could think about was other Worlds- where Kairi came from, what it would take to find these other Worlds himself. If prompted, would Sora come with him? He probably would if Kairi came along too. That was fine. If they found Kairi's original world, maybe they could leave her there and go back to the way things were before.

But that was selfish to think. If Kairi disappeared, Sora wouldn't want to just sit by and move on. He'd probably go out to find her, like the hero he is.

Like the hero he wished he was.

Riku held a hand up, outstretched in front of him, heel of his palm level with the line that separated sky and sea. Other Worlds could be so close, but he was stuck here. Caged by the sea-- a prison with walls of water. He clenched his hand to a fist, frustration boiling inside of him. 

He wanted to go. He wanted to _leave._

But he couldn't. Because the water was a prison, the cold waves trapped within the eyes of his best friend.

* * *

Riku pressed his hand against the solid door with an irate huff. Since he and Sora found it, in the cave near the freshwater pool- the cave Sora and Kairi had taken to calling 'The Secret Place'- it was all Riku could think about. Where did it lead? Why was it there? Why wouldn't it open? What was on the other side? Did it lead to other Worlds? A cooler, bigger cave? Why wouldn't it _open?!_

He knocked his fist against it, the dull thump echoing in the small space. Then he kicked it, as if that'd have any different effect.

As expected, no such luck. Riku sighed and turned around, leaning against it before letting himself slide down the wood, sliding until he hit the floor, legs spread in a V in front of him. His knuckles grazed the cold sand, and he sifted them through the grains.

"What secrets are you hiding?" he asked the open air, head falling back to hit the door with another soft thump.

"Oh, so this is where you've been hiding!"

Riku pulled his head up as Sora strode into the cave, brow raised and smile playing on his lips. Even from the distance, Riku could tell Sora was on the brink of panic. Still, he kept up a nonchalant mood as he walked in, stopping between Riku's feet.

"I looked over the whole island for you!" he cried, throwing his hands in the air before slapping them on his hips and bending at the waist, bringing his face down to Riku's. "What are you doing in here, anyway?"

Riku turned his head to look at the drawing on the wall, a picture of Sora and Kairi facing each other, smiling. The Kairi looked awful, but the Sora looked great. They probably drew each other. Riku fought a snort and turned to look back at Sora, only to see him looking at the wall, too. 

"I was thinking," he answered, drawing his legs in to stand. Sora took a step back and raised his eyebrows.

"About what?"

Riku walked into the middle of the cave and threw his hands in the air, spinning to motion to every wall. "Everything. I was thinking about this World- _other_ Worlds! This door-" Riku turned back around, catching Sora's eyes- "and where it might lead."

Sora cocked his head. "It probably leads deeper into the cave. We've never been able to get it open."

Riku nodded and put his hands on his hips, mocking Sora's early pose. "But why? It must be hiding something good if in the ten years we've known about it, we've never once been able to get it to budge. Think about it, Sora! If this leads to other Worlds, then we can get off of this stupid island and go on adventures and fight monsters, just like we talked about when we were kids." 

Sora's head, still slightly angled to the side, only fell farther to emphasize his confusion, and he followed Riku as he walked back to the door. He looked to the side again, staring at the drawings on the wall. At Kairi and Sora, face to face, ignoring the rest of the world as they looked only at each other. Riku wondered where he fit into that picture, and felt his hand clench into a fist. "What're you talking about?"

Unfurling his fist, he placed the same hand over the door, testing his weight on it. The wood was smooth, and his gloved fingers glided over it effortlessly. His heart beat in his chest, and he heard shoes scuff against sand as Sora approached.

"Riku?"

He turned, meeting Sora's gaze, his head cocked to the side and a concerned expression on his face. Riku took a step forward. Sora didn't move.

"Sora, I want you to do something."

"What is it?"

Riku's hand, the same one that touched the door, reached out to touch Sora. The boy looked confused now, but didn't pull away as Riku flattened his hand between the open zipper of Sora's jacket, tips of his fingers grazing the crown necklace he never took off. Through the layers of fabric separating their skin, Riku could still feel the warmth that was forever trapped under Sora's skin, and swore he could feel the beat of Sora's heart pumping in his chest. Riku could feel every breath he took in and let out, an even rhythm of in... out... in... out, until it wasn't enough, and Sora took in a deep, deep breath, pressing his chest against Riku's hand involuntarily before exhaling, long and slow, chest relaxing. 

"Tell me to stop."

"What? Stop what?" And when Sora uttered his name one more time, soft and confused and worried, he felt its ghost brush against his lips. Their first kiss tasted like sea salt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *dabs into oblivion*


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> y'all idk what the fuck even happened  
> anyway this is the last chapter i have prewritten so whether or not there'll be an update next week is kind of a shot-in-the-dark lmao

The sun was setting, and a storm was rolling in, if evident by the strong winds that threatened to push Riku off his perch on the Paopu tree. His hair, slick and sticky from one-dip-too-many in the ocean whipped around him, slapping the back of his neck and smearing salt water into his eyes.

Strong winds like this meant dangerous currents and high waves, which meant a trip back to the mainland would be exhausting, treacherous, and would take longer than usual. Riku knew he should go to the dock, get in his canoe, and head back inland before the wind got any worse and his family started to worry, but he couldn't bring himself to. 

The sun was setting, but there was still warmth to be savored, and Riku wasn't ready to let that go just yet.

Winds that blew from the sea had a tendency to be wet and cold, and these winds were no different, and even as Riku sat with his arms around him, knees to his chest, fighting shivers, the sun was still setting, and there was warmth to be savored.

 

_When Riku's lips touched Sora's, it was like kissing the ocean. His lips were chapped from the salt and the sun and the sand, but so were Riku's and he couldn't bring himself to care._

_A soft pressure on his arms was what made Riku pull back, and Sora immediately turned his head with a sputtering gasp, bringing a gloved hand to his mouth as he caught his breath. His eyes were wide and his face was red enough to rival his jumpsuit._

_"W-What was that?!" Sora squawked, and Riku blinked at him before giving him a noncommittal shrug of his shoulders._

_"A kiss."_

_"Yeah, b-- but why? That was my first kiss!"_

_Riku shrugged again. "Mine, too."_

_If possible, Sora flushed redder, but he didn't look uncomfortable. Shocked, if anything. Confused, if anything else. "I--"_

_"Were you saving that for Kairi?"_

_He didn't mean to be so spiteful- he really didn't. But he knew the moment her name dropped from his lips, fat and heavy and twisted and dripping with venom, it was probably not the best time to talk about her. Sora pulled a face, looking horrified, but that didn't lessen his embarrassment._

_"Riku--"_

_"It's fine." Riku pushed himself into motion, shoving his hands deep into his pockets and walking past Sora, and as the boy called his name and followed after him, Riku bit his tongue to refrain from responding._

_Sora didn't follow him into the shack, and, for a while, as the wind began to pick up, Riku sat alone at the Paopu tree, staring- glaring- at the horizon. He wasn't sure for how long he sat alone, until the bridge creaked behind him, pulling him out of his thoughts._

_Even without speaking, Riku knew who it was._

_"What do you want?" Riku asked, his voice coming out just above a whisper. He was almost worried they wouldn't hear him, but the wind must've carried his words, because they took in a breath._

_"Kairi and I are heading back to the mainland," Sora said, slowly, and Riku heard shoes shifting through dirt, and, for some strange reason, his blood ran cold at the thought of facing Sora right then. But Sora didn't appear, having only adjusted the way he was standing, "since there's a storm coming. Are you coming, too?"_

_Riku nearly snorted. "No. I'm gonna stay here a while."_

_A strong gust of wind ripped past them, and Riku heard the sound of Sora's necklace getting blown about._

_"Okay," the brunet answered lamely. "Don't... don't stay too late, Riku." The bridge cracked once again as he retreated._

 

Riku's lip curled, and he slammed his fist against the bark of the tree. _Stupid,_ he chastised himself, repeating the word with every followed slam of his fist. Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupidstupidstupid!!!

He ended with a particularly hard slam, leaving his fist aching and his chest heaving, and through the wind and the sound of his blood roaring in his ears, he heard something splash in the water below. 

On Riku's way to the docks some time later, he found it was a Paopu fruit, the crashing of the waves leaving it battered and stranded on the beach, alone and estranged from its brethren. Riku stared at it until the tide came in, washing over it, and when the tide sucked back into the ocean, it ripped the Paopu along with it.

* * *

Riku stared at the ceiling as rain slammed into his window. Dinner was cold when he got home, and he was greeted by his family, who told him they were worried about him and what did they say about staying on the islands late when a storm was rolling in? Riku apologized, ate dinner, showered, and climbed into bed, ready for the day to end.

Except it didn't, and even though Riku was practically begging for sleep, his mind didn't cooperate. How could it, when all it was replaying was a mantra of _Sora Sora Sora Sora Sora why'd I kiss him stupid stupid stupid stupid Sora no Sora's not stupid I'm stupid stupid stupid stupid why'd I kiss him I kissed Sora- Sora Sora Sora_ \--

He bore through it for a few hours, and before he knew it, it was 4 in the morning and he was getting up and getting dressed and heading out the door. The storm had mostly passed, leaving a breeze and a light drizzle that managed to soak through Riku's vest by the time he made it to the docks.

The waves had calmed down, so the voyage to the island wasn't difficult, and Riku tied his ship to the dock and climbed out. 

He'd never really been on the island while the sun was down, with the few exceptions of the meteor shower and days he accidentally fell asleep and woke up after sundown. Those were rare days, especially after it happened once and Riku's family exploded, worried about him getting capsized somewhere between the two shores, or kidnapped, or how he may've drowned, or got bitten by a shark, eaten by something on the island; maybe he broke his neck, his leg, cracked his skull, got a splinter-- any average parental worry, really. Sora practically lead the search party to the island, and he was crying- the ugly kind, with snot and red eyes and a frown that lasted hours- when he finally found Riku, dozing under the Paopu tree, and he fought Riku's parents after they tried to ban him from the island. That was when the 'home before sundown' rule was made. Too bad they rarely abided it. 

Also 'too bad' there wasn't a 'home until sunrise' rule, but Riku probably just inadvertently made that a thing.

Hands that were deep in his pockets were ripped from their confines as he tripped, foot rolling over something and his face approaching the sand _fast._ Thankfully, his quick reflexes saved him, and he turned his bellyflop into a less-than-agile roll, feeling a twinge in his wrist as he landed his weight on it wrong. Hissing, Riku pulled the hand to his chest and squinted through the pale dark, making out an oblong shape upon the shore. Getting to his feet, he shook his wrist out, making his way towards the thing that tripped him. He kicked it- once, twice- and rolled it under his foot. From what he could tell, it was a log of wood. Looking around, Riku found two more like it on the shore.

Moving the logs further up the beach (carefully, due to his wrist), so the tide couldn't reach them, Riku shoved his hands back in his pockets and stared at them, wondering where they came from. The only thing his mind supplied was a ship happened to lose them on their transport.

Oh well, it's just three logs.

Riku shook his damp hair out and combed his sticky bangs out of his face, brows furrowed in thought. Three logs, three logs...

This couldn't be just happenstance.

After another few moments, thunder clapped and lightning flashed, illuminating the night sky, and, just as suddenly, it dawned on him.

There was a tarp, up in the treehouse. They were going to make it into a flag with it, but could never settle on a design. At this point, they didn't have to.

On top of that, there was a rope that Tidus brought a while back, trying to teach everyone how to lasso after watching too many cowboy movies. It was now forgotten, but not for long.

With all these materials, they could build a raft.

They could build a raft and get out of here. They could be _free._

Something pulsed through Riku, a white-hot of pure _euphoria_. He couldn't believe their luck. He couldn't believe _his_ luck. What kind of coincidence was it, that Riku went to the island on this morning to find all they needed to escape?

Riku practically leaped into action, and, ignoring the complaint in his wrist, paddled his way back to the mainland, racing the rain and the wind, and despite the smile that split his face, he still couldn't tell if it was rain on his cheeks or fresh, hot tears.

* * *

Maybe it was the chaotic way he was climbing, or the destructive way he clambered into the room, but at some point of his entry, Sora woke up and was nearly screaming. Which was fair, because, in his perspective, a wet, ratty _something_ just crawled through his window at the crack of dawn in the rain like a demon and was whisper-yelling his name like a maniac as he went.

By the time Riku was situated on top of Sora and clamping his hands over his mouth to get him to be quiet before he woke the whole island, Sora had realized who it was and was, thankfully, beginning to calm down.

"Rmmkmm?" Sora grumbled incoherently, tugging on his wrists to get the gloved hands, wet with rain and seawater, off of his mouth before the flavor was ingrained on his tongue forever, but all Riku did was shush him. Sora was glaring at him, both in exhaustion and in confusion, but only when he nodded did Riku move his hands.

The first thing Sora did was spit and wipe his mouth off. Riku ignored how familiar the motion was as he shut the window so the rain didn't get in.

"What's going on?" Sora whispered to him, struggling to move his lower half to sit up, balanced on his elbows and shimmying slightly, hoping Riku would get the hint. He did, and sat up and moved back so they both sat on Sora's bed with crossed legs.

"We can leave," Riku blurted, and Sora blinked at him before he moved his hands to begin wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"What?" At the very least, he sounded more confused than irritated. "What do you mean?"

"Sora, everything's there. It's all there. We can-- we can build a raft, and we can get out of here. Just like we said we would when we were kids. We can go see other Worlds, we can--"

"Whoa, whoa, Riku, calm down," Sora was reaching for him, grabbing his arms with his hands, the grip steady. "What's all there?"

"Everything!" Riku nearly sighed, shrugging Sora's hands off. "There's logs, and we can use that old tarp we were going to make a flag with, and we can use the rope Tidus brought, and we can gather fish and water and coconuts and we can--"

"Riku," Sora tried again, brows furrowed lighty. "You're soaking wet, and you look like trash. Have you gotten any sleep?"

"No," Riku answered honestly, and it was beginning to catch up on him.

"Okay," Sora sighed, kicking the blanket off his feet and moving towards his dresser. "I'm gonna give you some dry clothes and go get you a towel so you don't get sick."

A shirt and a pair of pajama pants were tossed his way, and Riku caught the clothes and squinted at them through the dark. It was an old T-shirt, soft and gray, and the pants appeared to be blue and had a design that Riku couldn't quite make out. While Sora went to get a towel, Riku peeled off his sopping clothes and pulled on the PJs, moving to dump the wet clothes in Sora's hamper when the door opened and something soft hit him in the face. 

Sora yawned loudly as he moved past Riku, and the bed creaked as he sat, Riku dumping the clothes and aggressively drying his hair off.

"So, what's this about a raft?" Sora asked, and Riku placed the damp towel in the hamper, too, moving to sit next to him. "And slow down this time, I'm still half asleep."

Riku took in a deep breath and, fighting his eyes open, repeated himself. He told Sora about the logs that washed upon the shore, and explained his idea for building a raft. They had everything they needed on the island to make it, and with a fresh-water source and fish and coconut, they didn't even have to go back to the mainland once it was done. They could just set sail and make way to other Worlds.

However, Riku knew, halfway through his explanation, he lost Sora, if the blank look on his friend's face said anything.

"You want to leave?" Sora finally said, face screwed in confusion. Riku nodded.

"Yeah. Don't you?"

Sora shrugged. "I mean, I can't say I haven't thought about it. Especially after Kairi arrived, but..." He looked away and scratched his cheek, frowning. "Are you sure you want to?"

"I'm sure," Riku said, nodding slowly. "I've never wanted anything more in my life."

Sora hummed, falling back onto his pillows. Out of instinct, and thanks to too many sleepovers, Riku fell next to him, and Sora lifted the blankets to cover them both up. "Let's talk more about it in the morning. We can tell Kairi about it, and the three of us can go on an adventure. Maybe we'll find out where Kairi came from!"

Riku nodded, eyes already closed and sleep closing in fast. "Yeah."

The shared warmth seeped through Riku's skin, warming his bones, and they were both asleep in seconds.

**Author's Note:**

> Also!! Please tell me your thoughts or if there are any mistakes or anything!!! I love comments jFJHDJHJF;;;;;


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